Dillan
by Lacrimula Falsa
Summary: Turns out they don't send the Grim Reaper to take you to the afterlife. [Written for TSB2020. May be canon-compliant, complete.]


**Dillan  
**_by Lacrimula Falsa_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, nor any other Marvel franchise. This is a non-profit work produced solely for entertainment purposes.

_Summary:_ Turns out they don't send the Grim Reaper to take you to the afterlife. [Written for TSB2020. May be canon-compliant, complete.]

**Warnings!:** major character death

_A/N:_ This fic was written for Tony Stark Bingo 2020, an awesome event you can find at tonystarkbingo DOT tumblr DOT com (just fill in the dots and remove the spaces). This is the third round of TSB so far and I hope there will be many more. You can still get a generic card for the bingo, so don't be shy and join the fun!

Comments are, as always, love.

**Title:** Dillan**  
****by **Lacrimula Falsa**  
Card Number:** 3108**  
Link:** on Ao3 - archiveofourown DOT org SLASH works SLASH 22214446**  
Square Filled:** Adopted Party One – Afterlife/Ascension**  
Ship/Main Pairing:** none**  
Rating:** T**  
Major Tags:** major character death**  
Summary:** Turns out they don't send the Grim Reaper to take you to the afterlife.**  
Word Count:** ca. 765 words

* * *

Tony had never pictured dying, because he'd figured it would be the end of all his conscious experiences.

Imagine his surprise when he woke up in his workshop instead.

_Without. A fucking. Body._

What the actual fuck.

"Uh. Hello? FRIDAY?"

Nope, no AI.

That was the moment Dum-E went through him.

_Through. Him._

Holy shit.

"Jesus!"

"No, I'm afraid he only shows up for the folks who were really,_ really _into him during their life. Or so I'm told."

Tony spun around and had his palm up in a repulsor gesture in half a second.

There was a guy in his workshop.

A young guy in jeans and a hoodie, who looked like he worked at Dunkin' Donuts and was probably named Tyler.

But with wings.

Tony blinked.

Probably-Tyler stuck his hand out.

"Dillan. I'm here to bring you over."

"What."

Not-Tyler put his hand back down.

"Ah. Okay, so. You know that you died?"

Tony frowned.

"Apparently? I mean. I don't have a body, so unless Strange is seriously messing with me. Yeah."

"Oh thank fuck."

Tony blinked again.

"They let angels swear?"

Dillan made a face.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not an angel, actually. I'm an ex-human. Like you."

Well, that was something of a relief. As it meant that Tony wasn't irrevocably screwed. Probably.

"You have wings though."

Dillan looked over his shoulder."Oh. Yeah, I died at a bachelor party. I'm also wearing a golden thong under this."

Tony tried to sit down on a stool, then remembered that he didn't have a body anymore and just leaned awkwardly against the wall instead. Which worked, thankfully.

"That seems disrespectful. To send a stripper to… Why are you here again?"

Dillan gestured vaguely.

"To help you pass over. To the afterlife? Heaven and such, you know? Not that it has to be that. I mean. I don't know."

He cleared his throat, then started again."I mean. I get you into the Light and from there you go wherever. I was already over there, but you lose your memories of that place when you come back. So I can't tell you what the afterlife is like. Sorry."

That was a lot to process.

"Can I have a moment."

Dillan shrugged.

"Sure. The grandma I helped over last took like a week. I'm not running a meter or anything."

In the end, it took Tony remarkably little time to arrive at the conclusion that he really couldn't do a whole lot about his situation. Being on Earth without a body would likely suck after a while, so. That left the afterlife.

"So, Dillan. How does that work? 'Passing over'."

"We wait for the Light. And then we go in."

"That seems like something one could do alone."

Dillan shot him a "duh" look.

"Why do you think _I'm_ here and not, like, Saint George?"

Tony raised a brow.

"Well. Guess at the end of the day even Tony Stark is just a random person."

"Ah, man, don't take it personally. There are a lot of people dying. And not a lot of people volunteer to come back here."

Tony pushed himself off the wall.

"Death. The great equaliser."

"Truer words, man. You ready?"

"Is anyone ever?"

"No, dude, that's not like, a philosophical question. That's like the button I need to push to turn the Light on."

"Oh."

Tony considered.

"You really can't tell me anything?"

Dillan shook his head.

"Not a thing. But for what it's worth, I want to go back when I'm done here. And a lot of people don't want to leave to get people from here. So."

For a long moment, they both just stared across the workshop, watching Dum-E wheel past. Then Dillan pushed himself off the wall too.

"So, are you ready?"

Tony took a deep unnecessary breath.

"Yeah. Then I guess I am."

The Light was really fucking bright, but it still let him see the workshop as he walked in.

"Guess this is goodbye."

He couldn't make himself walk.

Was this what it was like for everyone? Or could some people just leave everything behind without any pain? And if so, what kind of shit life must they have had.

Or maybe they just had closure.

Dillan put a hand on Tony's shoulder.

"Hey. You can come back, you know. If you really want."

Tony put his foot forward.

"You're good at your job, Dillan. Anyone ever tell you that?"

"If you think this is a good job, you should see me strip."

The light swallowed them and winked out, taking Tony's laughter with it.

* * *

_A/N:_ I "adopted" this prompt during the first TSB Discord server party of round three. The fill was going to be far more philosophical, but then Dillan showed up. *shrugs*


End file.
